Abs

[Pavel]

Is there any way of retrofitting ABS to a non-ABS car? Not too bothered if there isn't, but my Si seems to have a ridiculous amount of unused plugs in the engine bay, so I would've assumed there's provision for a whole bunch of stuff that isn't fitted..

 

[Tom 1.0]

yeah,

its expensive,

iirc the abs models were normally sr with rear disc? not very common though

 

[Pavel]

Expensive involving what?

The reason I ask is that I was planning on converting to rear discs anyway, and figured maybe I could install ABS at the same time...

 

[pollyp]

alot of work. when i was once swapping all parts during restoration between my abs and non-abs micras it involved swapping:

front abs hubs
rear abs disc axle
engine bay wiring loom
cabin wiring loom
abs wiring from cabin loom to rear abs sensors
abs control box
abs servo control unit
master cylinder
all brake pipes in engine bay

if u also don't have disc rears to start with:

rear discs
calipers
rear brake hose
handbrake cables

 

[Pavel]

Cheers pollyp, that's very clear. Didn't realise I'd need new looms as like I said I was hoping that mine provisioned for ABS (lots of unused plugs around!). Doesn't really seem worth it now (although master cylinder, hubs, calipers and brake lines aren't at all a problem.. fairly easy.)

When you say cabin loom do you mean the entire wiring loom needs to come out? (i.e. dash + carpet + trim out job?).


Since you're clued up on rear brakes, could you tell me whether any other Nissan uses the same (or compatible) rear calipers as I can find a couple of rear disc beams, but they need new calipers, and the only Micra rear calipers I can find cost a BOMB.

 

[pollyp]

hey

where are the unused plugs, if it's around the gearbox, the loom could've been for an auto. if it's around the headlights it could be for foglights.

the abs loom is part of the ecu loom so yeah entire loom would be replaced. bare in mind my 93 slx non-abs and 98slx abs (prefacelift) had different looms, ecu, and fuseboxes.

do you have nats? cos the replacement ecu loom would have to be from a nats version too. then i think you swap over the nats ecu & also the nats unit hidden at the very left front cabin beside the fan blower.

the rear disc beams are really really! rare. only found on super s i think. when i once crashed me axle against a kerb the garage had a hard time finding a replacement disc axle and they cost over £150.
could the calipers be cleaned up n regreased up? or if they're proper seized shut, i once swapped for a refurbed from Brakes International in bolton for bout £70ish.

very expensive and labour intensive conversion indeed

 

[Pavel]

Cheers, ABS is now out! I've got a 1999 Si, with NATS, so would have to get the entire package (which isn't worth it at all.. plus I'm used to driving a car without ABS so don't need it as much nowadays!)

However, I definitely want to go rear discs... The problem is most beams I can find come WITHOUT any calipers at all (so it's not a matter of rebuilding them, it's a matter of finding some!)

Which is why I was wondering whether any other Nissan rear calipers can be used instead? (Sunny/Almera?) Presumably with their own discs.

 

[pollyp]

aye for the amount of effort and cost, especially with nats, you may as well buy a micra with them features, if they still exist.

finding the disc axle without calipers is the norm.
what about upgrading the brakes to full GTI-r calipers when ur changing to rear discs?

 

[Pavel]

I'd be fitting front GTI-R brakes indeed, do the rear calipers simply bolt up too??

 

[pollyp]

dunno bout the rear calipers though would've thought if the fronts fit then the rears similar too with 1mm washer spacer. there's another gti-r brake discussion in the tech forum at the mo